Why are emulsifiers added to our food? On Instagram @AndreaHardyRD, I talk all about emulsifiers and whether you need to be worried about them impacting your gut symptoms.
Do we need to worry about emulsifiers in our food impacting our gut?
Emulsifiers are added to foods to improve their taste, texture, shelf life and appearance.
They prevent separation of oil and water, keeping a stable, consistent, uniform product and can be found in baked goods, plant-based milks, processed & ‘instant’ foods, condiments, and so much more.
In Canada, they must be labelled by common ingredient name, and may have a descriptor behind the ingredient. ie. guar gum (emulsifier)
There are regulations on how they can be used based on safety data set out by the CFIA and the maximum levels are set based on safety data.
Common examples are lecithin, xanthan gum, carrageenan, and diglycerides just to name a few! ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? – ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????????????????????. Some have no risk of adverse effects at any dose, some may have risks at extremely high doses, 10’s-1000’s of times beyond what is seen in our food supply.
Recent attention has been brought to the impact of certain emulsifiers, like carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose, or polysorbate-80 on altering microbiota composition, inflammation and intestinal permeability – which while important, needs to be taken in context given the fact we’re using animal models and quite high doses of these food additives we can’t simply draw the conclusion to ‘avoid them all! At all costs!’ Which I commonly see online.
What’s the takeaway:
⁃ We need more research assessing the impacts at typical physiological doses and understand the impact on phenotype & disease risk as well as if different dietary components (like adequate fibre) attenuate the impact
⁃ Choosing to prepare more food from scratch is great for your gut to begin with, because you have more control over the fibre, sugar, fat, and salt going in, and inherently will reduce our intake of emulsifiers
⁃ Do we need to practice absolutism when it comes to emulsifiers? No! Enjoy a tablespoon or 2 of bbq sauce, or an ice cream – and focus on the bigger picture! A LOT of anxiety goes in to the ‘what if’s’ and small exposures rather than focusing on the things that have strong evidence – like fibre!
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